Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Strength training, also known as resistance training, uses external resistance to improve physical function, build strength, and increase lean muscle mass. While many people recognize its role in building muscle, strength training also provides two often-overlooked benefits: increasing energy levels and helping prevent injuries.

Improving Energy

To understand how strength training improves energy, it's important to look at the role lean muscle mass plays in the body. Beyond helping you move, muscle is metabolically active tissue that requires energy (calories) to maintain. Because of this, muscle directly influences both your resting metabolic rate (RMR) and basal metabolic rate (BMR).

• Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): The minimum number of calories your body needs to perform daily functions, including low-effort activities. RMR accounts for up to 75% of the energy you burn throughout the day. The most accurate way to measure your RMR is through indirect calorimetry testing at a laboratory, although many fitness trackers can provide a general estimate.
• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The minimum amount of energy your body requires to support essential bodily functions such as breathing, circulation, and organ function.

How does strength training affect your energy?

As you build lean muscle through strength training, both your BMR and RMR increase. This means your body burns more calories even while you're at rest.

Higher metabolic rates can:

• Make it easier to reduce body fat.
• Support healthy weight management.
• Help sustain energy levels throughout the day.
• Increase the total amount of energy your body can use each day, giving you a greater capacity for daily activities.

Injury Prevention

In addition to improving energy, strength training plays a vital role in reducing the risk of injury. Building lean muscle and consistently performing resistance exercises helps your body become stronger, more stable, and better prepared for everyday movement.

Why is strength training important for injury prevention?

• Improved coordination: Strength training enhances the mind-body connection, allowing for smoother, more controlled movement during everyday activities.
• Increased bone density: Stronger bones can help reduce the risk of fractures and breaks.
• Natural body armor: Muscle acts as a form of shock absorption, helping protect your body from bumps, slips, and falls.
• Healthier joints, ligaments, and tendons: Building muscle around your joints reduces stress placed on them while strengthening the surrounding ligaments and tendons as they adapt to increased resistance.

Where to Start

If you are overweight, have a medical condition, or haven't exercised in a long time, talk with your primary care physician before beginning a strength training program.

If you're looking for guidance, speak with our staff about working with a personal trainer or joining one of our strength training classes.

If you'd rather start on your own, begin with simple bodyweight exercises such as:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Push-ups
• Crunches

Starting with these foundational movements can help you build strength, improve confidence, and establish a routine that supports both your energy levels and long-term health.

Summer is the perfect time to get outside, stay active, and work toward your fitness goals. But with longer days, warmer weather, and the pressure to stay in shape, many people end up doing more than their bodies can handle. Whether you're hitting the gym, training for a race, or enjoying outdoor activities, staying healthy means finding the right balance between exercise, nutrition, hydration, and recovery.

Stay Hydrated and Beat the Heat

One of the most important ways to stay healthy and active during the summer is to stay properly hydrated. When temperatures rise, your body loses more fluids through sweat, making it easier to become dehydrated. Drinking water consistently throughout the day—not just during your workout—helps regulate body temperature, supports muscle function, and keeps energy levels up. If you're participating in longer or more intense workouts, consider replenishing electrolytes as well.

It's also important to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion. Symptoms can include excessive sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and muscle cramps. Ignoring these warning signs can lead to more serious heat-related illnesses. To reduce your risk, try exercising during cooler times of the day, such as early morning or evening, wear lightweight clothing, and take breaks when needed. Listening to your body is key to staying safe and performing your best during the summer months.

Keep Moving for Your Physical and Mental Health

Regular exercise remains one of the best ways to maintain both physical and mental health. Being active helps improve cardiovascular health, build and maintain muscle strength, increase endurance, and support a healthy weight. Exercise can also reduce stress, boost mood, and improve overall energy. During the summer, outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, swimming, or cycling can be great ways to stay active while enjoying the season.

Recovery Is Part of the Workout

Many people think working out every day or constantly increasing intensity will produce faster results, but that's not always true. Overtraining happens when your body doesn't have enough time to recover between workouts. Instead of getting stronger, you may notice constant soreness, lack of motivation, and even trouble sleeping.

Recovery is just as important as training because your muscles repair and grow stronger during that time. Taking a rest day or choosing a lighter workout doesn't mean you're losing progress—it helps you continue making it.

It's also important to make a habit of doing dynamic movements before your workout to help prepare your muscles for activity. After your workout, spend time doing static stretches to improve flexibility and help relieve soreness.

Focus on Progress, Not Comparison

Remember to leave your ego at the door. Trying to lift heavier weights than you're truly ready for or comparing yourself to others can increase your risk of injury. Instead, focus on proper form, choose weights that challenge you while allowing you to maintain good technique, and follow your own pace.

Fitness is about building long-term habits, not proving how much you can lift. Summer is meant to be enjoyed by staying hydrated, eating well, listening to your body, and making time for recovery. Consistency—not overdoing it—is what leads to lasting results and helps you stay strong all season long.

According to the CDC, one in four older adults falls every year, which results in 14 million falls each year in the US. There are many contributing factors that lead to a fall; sometimes it might be out of the person’s control, but knowing this staggering fact, it would be wise for all older adults to invest time in their health and fitness. My favorite part of exercise is that almost all movement is considered exercise, so if you are intentional about movement every day, you will see maintenance or improvement in your fitness. What is even better, is if you challenge yourself, even in small ways, you will see even more improvement. Today, I would like you to consider challenging yourself for better balance.

1. Walking! Holy smokes is walking underrated. And you might think to yourself “I walk all the time!” But are you really? Consider your typical 8 hour day, how many steps do you get? Adults 60 and older and in good physical health should aim for 6,000-8,000 steps/day. For someone with lower mobility, you should aim for 3,000-4,500 steps/day. Being upright and using your legs automatically engages you in balance exercise.
2. Seated Exercise. Wait a minute… I just said that walking was one of the best ways to work on balance. Yes, it is, but walking isn’t easy for everyone, every day. You might have neuropathy, back pain, or experienced falls already, so walking feels a little scary… If this is the case, engaging in seated exercise 3-5 times/week like seated marches, leg lifts, toe taps, seated crunches, etc. improves muscle strength and endurance which are vital for balance.
3. Specific Balance Exercises. Exercise that focus specifically on balance such as Tai Chi, Single Leg Stands, Heel to Toe Walking, Foam Balance Pad work, etc. challenge your balance so your body can practice reaction. Fitting in these types of exercises 2-3 times/week is ideal. Remember to start with exercises that are slightly challenging before progressing to more advanced work.
4. Strength Exercises. Building muscle is so important when it comes to your overall health, but especially when it comes to stabilizing the body. Without strong muscles, your body has a harder time of standing up straight, handling obstacles, and reacting. Utilizing dumbbells, resistance bands, or selectorized strength equipment (like what you find in a gym), and water resistance in the pool are all ways to increase strength!
5. Diet and hydration. Believe it or not but exercise isn’t the only piece to the puzzle when it comes to better balance. You must eat a balanced diet for level blood sugar, you must take proper medications to avoid interactions, and you must stay hydrated to avoid dizzy spells that accompany dehydration. 

It’s raining, it was a rough day, my sports team lost, my dog looked at me funny. There are so many easy excuses to go home, relax on the couch, crack open a cold pint of ice cream, and take the stress away with a favorite show. Seems like the way to deal with the challenges in life, right? Maybe for an occasional day, but there’s something better out there! Believe it or not, strength training is a great way to build resilience to life’s problems.

As a former collegiate soccer player, we were expected to lift 4 days a week if we wanted to stay in shape for our sport. I had the odd luxury of building that expectation from a young age to work out no matter what. Tired, sad, a bit sore, under the weather, exams coming up, it didn’t matter. However, if I wanted to be able to play at this level, it wasn’t a question of whether I wanted to work out… but when.

Fast forward several years, after college, there was an accident that left me with a brain injury and instructions from the doctor to not lift or do strenuous exercise. Walking was all I could do for 2 years, and unfortunately, it reset my whole mindset with exercise. Once I was cleared, I began to lift when I felt like it. It turned out that I felt like it maybe once a week. I lost my confidence in my body’s ability to work under pressure from life’s stressors. Then other daily tasks felt like too much work. This led to me being lazy with my meal preparations, going with the quick microwave meals. I was easily distracted by scrolling on my phone. Grass grew to my knees before I decided to mow. It didn’t click that my strength training routine was building such resilience and confidence until one day I was convinced to sign up for a marathon with only six months to train.

It pushed me to do what was needed to accomplish such a feat. Get the long runs in, recover well, eat right and get my confidence back. I’m not saying a marathon is what will lead to feeling capable or independent. It was simply a goal that was set to get myself moving. After the marathon, I realized how much I missed having that strength and resilience in everyday life. I got back to strength training, and slowly it bled into the other areas of my life. I was eating healthier, staying on top of chores, and instead of having my eyes glued to a screen, I was outside walking with friends and spending time in the present.

Strength training may not ever give back the strength I had as a college athlete. However, strength training can still give me that same confidence as before. Convincing me to get things done not because it feels good, but because it’s important to take care of myself for as long as possible. It reminds me on a daily or weekly basis what my body is capable of, and how much more capable it can be with just an hour of focus a couple of days a week.

When I think about my fitness journey, I realize the biggest changes weren't just physical. Of course, getting stronger, improving my balance, and feeling healthier were all exciting milestones. But what truly kept me coming back wasn't the workout itself; it was the people. I knew others were expecting to see me, and before long, I was looking forward to seeing them too.

Why does that happen? Because moving together with other people is a major motivator!

Check out these research-backed reasons that socializing while exercising is a double whammy!

Keeps Your Brain Engaged

Isolating yourself from others keeps you in a bubble, which means you only know what you know. Conversations stimulate attention, strengthen memory, and keep your mind active. According to Harvard Health, staying socially connected plays an important role in maintaining cognitive health as we age.

Reduces Stress and Boosts Your Mood

Have you ever left lunch with a friend or a family gathering feeling lighter than when you arrived? That's not just in your head. There is actually a chemical response when socializing with others, including lowering stress. Building relationships in places such as the gym or fitness classes will often lead to finding your “gym friends,” and you look forward to seeing them each session.

Creates a Sense of Belonging

One of the best parts of joining a group is feeling like you're part of something bigger. Before long, it becomes harder not to come to class because your peers expect to see you there. That sense of belonging provides encouragement, accountability, and emotional support, making it much easier to stay consistent.

Encourages Healthier Habits

Healthy behaviors are contagious. Healthier choices can often be achieved by being around others making healthier choices. Your peers who are also attending the same group fitness class, for example, are likely concerned about their physical, nutritional, and mental health. We tend to encourage each other down a healthy path because we care.

If you have been considering joining the gym or checking out a group fitness class, art class, or walking group, I encourage you to take a chance.

You don't have to know anyone when you walk through the door. Even if you aren’t sure how to get started, there will be someone there to welcome you and encourage you. Just like they say, “Those who move together, stay together!”

Did you know your everyday posture could have an effect on your overall health and wellness? Your posture is a makeup of your musculoskeletal system at work to maintain proper positioning throughout the body regardless of it you are in motion or static. While posture tends to be an automatic position that most of us do not notice, being hyperaware of your posture throughout the day could lead to positive overall changes in spinal health, balance, movement efficiency, breathing, focus, mental health, and maximizing your muscle gains during exercise.

First, let’s debunk the idea of maintaining a “perfect” posture. Everyone’s body is different, so, in turn, everyone’s posture is different. Putting too much stress on yourself to fit the mold of a “perfect” posture could be more detrimental than beneficial. This is due to the mental stress and muscle tightness that accompanies the overall anxieties of maintaining a “perfect” posture. Instead of trying to perfect our posture, let’s try to make our posture healthy.

How do you know if you have poor posture? There are plenty of common body symptoms that could exist because of improper positioning of the body. Improper posture could lead to back pain, headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, and be a hindrance on your flexibility, mobility, or balance. According to The Pelvic Girdle, a clinical textbook that discusses posture and biomechanics (including breathing mechanics), bad posture can also reduce your lung capacity by 30%, leading to feeling groggy, having lack of focus, or experiencing shortness of breath.

To maintain a healthy posture, make sure your head is always above your shoulders, shoulders always directly above the hips, maintain a neutral spine, keep your core muscles braced, and stabilize the lower body. To stabilize the lower body while standing, make sure to drive your weight more toward the midfoot or ball of your foot and keep the feet separated about shoulder width apart. Your weight should be equally distributed between both legs. To stabilize your lower body while sitting, make sure your feet lie flat on the floor with ankles apart and legs at a 90-degree angle. A good tip if you are unable to reach the floor from your chair is to utilize a footstool to maintain a proper 90-degree angle.

Incorporating small but effective mental and physical exercises everyday can lead to better posture overall. Arguably the most important muscle group associated with a health posture is your core muscles. Practice engaging your core intentionally throughout your day. How do you engage your core? The simplest way to put it is to imagine you are zipping up the fly on your tightest pair of jeans, so you must suck your belly button back to your spine and stand tall. That is the same sensation as engaging the core. Practice sucking your belly button to your spine while breathing steadily to trick your body into thinking this is your natural relaxed state. Making sure you have the proper footwear for your body’s gait is also highly important when it comes to proper posture. Runners Forum and Athletic Annex are two great examples of stores that will help you with gait analysis and fitting you with the proper shoes to aid your posture and comfortability throughout the day.

A disciplined diet and exercise routine will also lead to a positive change in posture due to the strengthening of the skeletal and muscular system. During exercise, the key muscle groups to hit to help improve your posture in order of importance are the core, upper back, shoulders, and glutes/hips. While strength training is important for those muscle groups in the posterior chain, having specified mobility/flexibility days incorporated into your workouts or everyday routine are vital for the release of tension of the muscle groups utilized in proper posture such as the chest, shoulders, back and hips. Working on your range of motion and loosening of the muscles will also help proper posture come more natural to you, which can take a lot of the mental stress of maintaining a healthy posture away.

A healthy posture is a lot more complex than just standing or sitting up straight. It is about creating a strong and stable foundation of the musculoskeletal system to support balance, breathing, boost confidence, improving focus, and efficiency of movements in everyday life. By making small, intentional changes now, you set yourself up for better movement, better workouts, and better overall health for years to come.

When life gets busy, it can be hard to always get into a proper workout space or gym to get a workout in, especially with tight-packed schedules, family life, or work stress, and finding the right time. This can make it easy for regular fitness habits to be placed on pause, with it being difficult to go back. Being active does not have to be a time-consuming commitment or create unnecessary stress. Doing small workouts that are 30 minutes or less can be effective and keep you active without requiring large amounts of time. Exercise does not have to be done in a gym setting; even short amounts of physical activity have been found to improve sleep, elevate energy levels, and reduce stress.

There are many options to get movement in to be active throughout the day without having to be at a gym. The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) recommends that adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week. A gym is not necessary to work out. A full body workout can be done at the office, home, or when traveling. This can be done by using bodyweight or resistance. Small loop resistance bands are a great piece of equipment to utilize for being on the go since they are lightweight and can be stored anywhere or put into a bag. Use the environment around you to assist with workouts. The steps in your house, a wall in a hotel or house, a chair, or a desk can all be used to help get a workout in and try out new exercises.

Bodyweight, minimal equipment, or resistance band exercises are simple and effective ways to build up strength, endurance, and mobility from anywhere. Exercises such as squats, lunges, pushups, and dead bugs are ideal for people who have short amounts of time, space, or little equipment available. Bodyweight exercise has an advantage because movements can be progressed or regressed to fit any fitness level. For instance, a plank can be done on an incline or on the knees for a lower intensity for beginners. Doing bodyweight exercises or exercises with a band or any equipment is still effective by working on balance, strength, mobility, and core stability/strength. Bodyweight exercise is a convenient way to still stay active when traveling, stuck at the office, or at home. These can be done from anywhere to be effective.

“I don’t always enjoy exercising, but I love when it’s done!” This statement is one of the most popular comments I hear in the fitness center, whether it’s a class or someone exercising on their own. Then, they often explain that it’s not just that they’re glad the exercise is over, but it’s about how they feel afterwards. They relieve stress, they feel accomplished, and even feel energized afterwards. We know there are many physical benefits to exercise, such as improving heart health, controlling blood pressure, improving bone, joint, and muscle health, and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Recently, it is also becoming more common to hear about the mental and emotional benefits of exercise.

According to the CDC, about 20% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety and/or depression. We also know that 1 in 6 people experience loneliness worldwide across all age groups, including about 12% of older adults. Even if you don’t have depression, anxiety, or experience loneliness, we all have some sort of stressors in our lives and could use a mood boost!

I have divided up the benefits of exercise on mental and emotional health into three main groups to discuss below:

1. Supports Mood and Reduces Stress. When we exercise, our brains release endorphins, which are “feel good” hormones. They help to reduce stress and give the body a sense of well-being. Research shows that moderate and high physical activity are associated with 15-30% lower rates of severe loneliness and social isolation. Exercise, especially with a friend or in a group, can also be a distraction or way to take your mind off the things in your life that are causing you stress or anxiety. You might even make new friends from attending a class that you can spend time with outside of exercise!
   
   
2. Boosts Energy and Improves Self Confidence. It’s understandable that some people think exercising will make them more tired, since they are exerting energy. While immediately after exercising you can feel tired, the act of exercise will help boost your energy levels. At a cellular level, your body produces more mitochondria while exercising. You may remember from your Biology 101 class that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. Meaning, more mitochondria equal more energy! Exercising regularly also tends to improve sleep, and a well-rested body is a more energized body. Having more energy can also help improve self-confidence. The more energy you have, the more you can challenge yourself in your workout. Tackling the challenge of a tough workout can give you the confidence to tackle the challenges of your everyday life.
   
   
3. Creates a Sense of Routine. Having a regular routine can help improve mood and give a sense of purpose. Scheduling a time for exercise each day, whether it’s a class, exercising on your own, or meeting a friend for a walk, can help create structure to your day that is important for mental health. It gives you something to look forward to that will help you feel better mentally and physically afterwards.

Keep in mind these mental and emotional benefits when you are lacking the motivation to exercise. As my members say, “you’ll love it when it’s done!”

Building strength by being still… did you know there was such a thing? My guess is yes, if you take a moment to think about it. Many of us associate getting stronger with constant movement, lifting weights, running, or completing repetitions. However, some of the most effective exercises actually involve holding completely still.

For example, there are a lot of exercises that ask us to “hold our pose” for 10 seconds or longer. These are called isometric exercises. So instead of moving through a full range of motion, your muscles contract and stay engaged while your body remains in one position. Common examples include holding a squat, maintaining a plank, or sitting against a wall in a wall sit. Although these exercises may look simple, they can be the most challenging.

Holding a still in a position during an exercise provides many benefits. For example, when we lower into a squat and pause before standing back up, we are strengthening the muscles, tendons, and connective tissues that support our joints. Because the muscles remain under continuous tension, they are working hard to maintain stability and control. This can improve muscular endurance, increase joint stability, and help build strength in that position.

For a lot of us, it feels like this type of exercise takes much more effort than traditional exercises when we keep moving. For example, if you perform 10 squats with a 10-second hold at the bottom of each squat instead of doing 10 squats in a row, your muscles will likely feel much more fatigued. That is because they never get a moment of relaxation that occurs during movement. The sustained muscle contraction creates a different kind of challenge, one that builds endurance as well as strength.

But the physical challenge is only part of the story. There is a mental benefit to this type of training as well. Isometric exercises help build resilience by teaching us how to tolerate being uncomfortable. Each time we successfully hold a challenging position, we feel more accomplished and confident in our ability to complete that exercise. In that moment, we set a goal, worked through the challenge, and finished feeling stronger—not only physically, but mentally.

The next time your workout asks you to pause and hold instead of moving, remember that you are doing more than strengthening your muscles. You are building stability, endurance, confidence, and resilience!

The question is no longer, “Do we have a fitness center?” The stronger question is, “Are we using the fitness center to its full potential as part of our mental wellness ecosystem?”

For many senior living communities, the fitness center has traditionally been viewed as an amenity. It’s a highlight on a perspective resident tour as the place where residents can exercise. When intentionally programmed, staffed, promoted, and integrated into the broader community, the fitness center becomes more than an amenity. It becomes a meaningful part of the community’s mental wellness ecosystem. Why is this important? In a recent NIFS survey of the senior living industry, over 50% of communities reported an increased prevalence of residents struggling with depression and anxiety.

A fitness ecosystem is not just a room with equipment, or a calendar filled with classes. It is a purposeful system of programs, people, and touchpoints that helps residents move regularly, feel connected, gain confidence, and build meaningful routines. For residents navigating change, loss, stress, anxiety, depression, or loneliness, that support can be powerful. Fitness is not a substitute for clinical care, but it can be a valuable part of a community’s broader mental wellness strategy.

By now, the connection between movement and mental health is well known. The World Health Organization recognizes that regular physical activity provides both physical and mental health benefits, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, improved brain health, and improved overall well-being. The Mayo Clinic also notes that physical activity can support emotional balance and may help reduce anxiety and depression.

For many residents, movement is not just about fitness. It is about feeling capable, connected, and supported in daily life. The CDC identifies reduced risk of depression, improved independent living, better bone health, and reduced fall risk among the benefits of physical activity for adults age 65 and older. When a resident feels more confident walking to dinner, joining a class, engaging in their favorite hobbies, or moving safely through their day, the benefits go far beyond physical health.

This is why community leaders should see the fitness center as more than a place to exercise. When done well, it becomes a familiar and supportive space where residents can build routines, see friendly faces, receive encouragement, and celebrate progress along the way. It creates simple but meaningful moments where residents are greeted by name, personally invited to participate, and recognized for the wins that matter to them. Those small touchpoints can make a big difference, especially for residents who may be feeling disconnected or unsure where they belong.

This ecosystem approach requires more than offering exercise classes. It requires intentional staffing, thoughtful programming, cross-department communication, and leadership buy-in. Fitness professionals should be empowered to notice changes in participation, connect residents to appropriate programs, communicate trends, and collaborate with life enrichment, therapy, nursing, food and beverage services, and resident services. When these departments work together, the fitness center becomes a hub for whole-person wellness.

For community leaders, this is where the opportunity lives. The fitness center can be more than a service residents use. It can become a meaningful part of how residents feel supported, connected, and encouraged in daily life. When fitness is intentionally woven into the community’s wellness strategy, it helps create an environment where movement feels accessible, progress is celebrated, and residents know they have a place to belong.

Click here to learn more about NIFS data-driven approach to helping residents gain strength and maintain their independence!